By: Tony Flood   Date: 7/22/10

The issue of antibiotic use in animals and antibiotic resistance in humans has received considerable media attention recently, with reports appearing on both television news programs and popular newspapers.  The government is also paying attention to this issue.  Members of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy & Commerce, Subcommittee on Health assembled for the again recently to discuss antibiotic resistance and to gain additional insights into understanding the possible link between antibiotics in food–producing animals and the impact of their use on human health and antibiotic resistance.  I observed the Subcommittee on Health's Hearing on Antibiotic Resistance last week, where the use of science to inform policy and legislative actions was heard loud and clear during the opening remarks.  Many agree that this is a complex issue and an emerging public health concern and that more definitive research needs to be done before placing limits or controls on their use in food–producing animals.

In June, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration drafted guidance for the judicious use of medically important antimicrobial drugs in food –producing animals as a first step in the direction of reducing or eliminating the use of growth promoting drugs.  The guidance document and its impact on food safety, public health and food production were also addressed during the hearing.  The draft guidance calls for specific use of antimicrobial drugs to assure the health of animals and also calls for veterinary oversight or consultation when administering antimicrobial drugs to animals.

The Danish Experience  

Denmark, the world’s largest exporter of pork, has taken aggressive steps to limit use of antibiotic drugs in animals.  Beginning in 1995 and ending in 1999, they ended the use of antimicrobial drugs for disease prevention and growth promotion.  This resulted in the reduction of the total use of antimicrobials.  But what was its impact on animal health and most importantly human health?   The World Health Organization (WHO) convened an international panel to review the Danish experiment of ending the use of growth promoting drugs.  In short, WHO found that the Danish Experience reduced the rates of antibiotic resistance in one class of bacteria known as enterococci (enterococci are not ordinarily foodborne pathogens) and did not affect the levels of human pathogens in chickens and pigs.   Many witnesses from the first panel at the hearing referred to the "Danish Experience" as evidence; however, the Subcommittee remarked the need for more US specific data to consider before any legislative action moves ahead.

What Lies Ahead for Antibiotic Drug use in Food–Producing Animals?

While groups like  the Animal Health Institute, American Veterinary Medical Association are supportive of FDA efforts to find a sensible path to address judicious use of medically important drug use, many experts have questioned the science behind the FDA’s draft guidance. There will certainly be continued attention to this issue, and the role of science is critical in the discussions and ultimately the decisions of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health